5 Reasons Why Your Diet Isn’t Working
This week I was awarded a place in Diet-to-Go’s Top 100 Healthy Lifestyle Bloggers list for 2015!
Check the list (including me!) out here: http://diettogo.com/blog/top-100-diet-blogs
I’m really honoured to be in such esteemed company when it comes to talking about dieting and self-care, because it increasingly disheartens me to see so many women (and men) of all ages continue to make misguided attempts to lose weight – effectively working against their bodies and taking on the shame of their “failure” when they put all the weight back on.
I spent 18 years hating my body and blaming my weight. I starved, deprived and restricted myself on one diet after another.
With no understanding of what I was really doing to myself or my hormones, weight or mood, I simply bought into the latest weight loss methods and dove deeper into dieting and despair – never sustaining long-term weight loss.
I starved myself only to crave food, wrestle urges to binge, want sugary sweets (a lot), think about food 24/7, and use other substances to try and satisfy my intense cravings.
So many women come to me with genuine confusion and exasperation that they have done everything right, followed it to a tee, but still cannot understand why they cannot succeed in losing weight!
What I learnt along the way throughout my own ever detouring and desperate dieting adventure, were a few important things that I’d like you to consider about your own weight release experience.
I hope they help you to realise that dieting is no way to truly nourish yourself, your body or your brain:
-
Weight may not be your problem
Many people who seek help with weight loss are struggling with emotional eating and about a third have Binge Eating Disorder (BED). A weight loss plan won’t fix the problem because it attempts to address one of many possible symptoms rather than the root cause of your weight gain.
-
You may have an eating problem instead of a weight problem
For many, food has become more than a pleasurable source of fuel and nourishment. Learning to manage your thoughts and emotions without turning to food is essential—and very possible when you acknowledge what your true cravings, needs and desires are. By changing the way you think, feel and behave around food, you can deal with the real problem and gain freedom around food, once and for all.
-
Perfectionism may be your worst enemy
Many people who struggle with food tend to think in black and white and all or nothing terms. They tend to cycle between restrictive eating and overeating, or binging. This leads to even greater physical and emotional distress. The goal is to find peace, pleasure and balance in your relationship with food.
-
Restriction increases cravings
Restriction can trigger an emotional and physical response, eventually leading to rebellion. A paradigm shift is necessary to feel safe around certain foods. Moving from scarcity and deprivation to abundance and freedom can end the insatiable cravings by finally experiencing fulfilment.
-
Change is complicated
Change is an internal process; external rules and rewards rarely lead to sustainable change. If you have ever wondered why you can’t “just do it” and “get your act together”, it’s not your fault. Your patterns may be strongly influenced by an unconscious protective belief system that requires validation in order for you to feel safe enough to change.
If you’ve been blaming yourself because diets haven’t worked for you, you’re not alone. So maybe it’s time to consider another way.
Consider whether you are ready for a complete shift in your thinking, and if so, perhaps learning more about how to love your body and find food freedom without dieting.
When you understand your own unique eating psychology and true cravings, needs and desires, you can finally work with your body instead of against it.
I can help you navigate the confusion to work with your own body, goals, lifestyle, situation and challenges.
With love and understanding
Viki xo
About Viki
Viki Thondley is a Mind-Body Wellness Specialist and qualified Holistic Counsellor, Food, Stress & Lifestyle Coach, Meditation Therapist, and Eating Disorder Recovery Coach who inspires women to shift from dieting and restriction to whole-self nourishment, self-care and healing. Recovered from bulimia nervosa and the many years of hormonal imbalances, food prison and self-sabotaging behaviours’, Viki is an inspiring coach, speaker and event host who also provides personalised holistic programs, workshops and retreats to instil self-love, happiness, body confidence and real food freedom. She is author of “Achieving Your Wellness: Create a Life You Love” and “Healthy Chocolate Delights: Real Food Sweet Treats”.
